Perhaps you 've come across a recipe or two on Pinterest for perfect skin . We 've seen them too : banana and orange facials , spicy acne masks , olive oil cleansers and more .

But whether you 're holistically-minded , frustrated with drugstore finds or having a beauty emergency , it 's not always wise to experiment on your face with that thing you saw on the Internet .

We wondered , should you ever put your skin and hair at the mercy of your kitchen pantry ?

`` For the most part I prefer drug store or department store or cosmeceutical products from your dermatologist because they 're actually tested on the skin and they go through certain quality control measures , '' said New York dermatologist Dr. Doris Day . `` But in a pinch , there are things you can use at home . ''

You just have to pick carefully and learn a little bit from the past . People have been using substances like olive oil , yogurt , vinegar , honey and aloe for skin care for ages , Day said , and now there are scientific studies that explain why they work .

We asked Day , who has a few DIY recipes of her own in her book , `` Forget the Facelift , '' to guide us through the `` dos and do n'ts '' of homemade beauty treatments .

Think different

Here are some of Day 's favorite pantry beauty ingredients .

HoneyOne of Day 's go-to products is honey . `` Honey is published widely in medical literature for its use on wounds and diabetic sores , '' she said . It is antiseptic and creates a barrier on wounds that 's breathable , like skin , she said . Honey also helps preserve homemade salves , so you can use them for more than one application . She includes honey in her recipes for acne treatment , eye de-puffing and exfoliating scrubs . It 's excellent for treating eczema , she said .

AloeAloe , like honey , is great for treating wounds , Day said , and other skin irritations . It is anti-inflammatory , she said , so it 's great for the pain associated with burns and poison ivy . Just pop off a piece of an aloe house plant and rub it directly on your irritated skin , she said .

`` But it can sting when you first put it on the skin , so you have to be a little patient that way , '' she said .

OilsOlive oil and coconut oil are Day 's favorites for home hydration . They are gentle on the skin , she said , and good for treating irritation . A little bit of these oils massaged gently around the eyes can help hydrate wrinkly skin under the eyes , but take care not to get it in your eyes , she said . Olive oil can even be used to effectively clean oily skin -- and is often used as a binder for sugar or salt scrubs .

For silky , shiny , smooth hair , Day recommends putting coconut oil in your hair , letting it soak in for a bit , then massaging in some shampoo before rinsing . If you shampoo after you 've got water on your oil-soaked hair , it will be greasy for days , she said .

ExfoliantsSalt and sugar are excellent exfoliants , Day said . Baking soda , as well , can be used as a fine-grained exfoliant , and may have antiseptic and brightening qualities as well , Day said . It 's simple to add salt , sugar or baking soda to any cleanser you already have and make it a scrub .

Dissolved epsom salts can also exfoliate the skin when used in high concentration . `` Epsom salts are an all-purpose type of thing , '' she said . `` Depending on the concentration , you can use it for everything from cleaning your furniture to get the calluses off your feet to help soothe your skin . '' It can help dry out a poison ivy rash if you use a small amount of Epsom salt in a bath , she said .

TeaIf you want to get antioxidants on your skin , use tea , rather than the often-suggested berries , Day said .

`` You can put blueberries on your face , but that will just stain your skin and probably you wo n't get enough of the blueberry 's antioxidant effect to make a difference , '' she said .

Steeped tea bags can effectively de-puff your eyes by themselves or strongly brewed tea can add antioxidant treatment to cucumber slices .

`` White tea has the highest levels of antioxidants and caffeine , so that would be my preferred one for the face , '' she said .

YogurtSome DIY facial treatment recipes use milk for wrinkle-banishing properties , but Day said it 's silly . Milk can actually spoil on your skin , and it 's not strong enough to deliver any lactic acid , she said .

`` It wo n't work , '' she said , `` and it 's expensive . ''

Instead , Day said , reach for the yogurt . In a mask , yogurt can deliver enough lactic acid to actually treat certain skin conditions .

Think twice

Here are some ingredients Days says to approach with caution , or consider other options .

VinegarPlain old white vinegar has historically been used as a deodorant , and it does stop body odor , Day said . But it has a major drawback : It stinks . `` It 's killing the yeast and certain bacteria , '' that can make you smell bad , she said , `` but then you smell like vinegar . '' Adding essential oil to vinegar helps , but does not eliminate the salad smell entirely , she said .

As for making your hair shiny -- another often-suggested use -- `` it might have an effect on the hair cuticle , closing it , '' she said , `` but I do n't know that I would use it in the hair . '' After all , coconut oil works better , she said .

Egg whitesEgg whites can provide a temporary tightening effect , a little relief for oily skin , Day said . But they come with a risk .

`` You have to be careful with the egg white mask because egg whites sometimes have salmonella , and if you end up ingesting it by accident , you can actually get salmonella , '' she said . `` So these days , unless you know the source of the eggs , I would be very careful with that one . ''

SpicesIf a DIY facial scrub recipe calls for cinnamon , use it at your own risk , Day said . `` I think that would be irritating . You would n't get enough of a concentration of cinnamon and you can probably even get blisters , '' she said . `` It 's a spice . If you put pepper on your skin , you can burn your skin . ''

But your skin can benefit from spices in your food , she said . Turmeric is anti-inflammatory , she said , and she often suggests adding it to meals .

`` But it will stain your skin orange and you wo n't get enough absorption from using it on your skin to get the benefit , '' she said . `` Over-the-counter products that contain turmeric use turmeric extract , and those are better on the skin . ''

CitrusCitrus fruits , like lemons , can irritate skin , Day said . So if you 're looking at a beauty recipe that calls for rubbing orange juice on your face or lemon wedges on your lips , stop reading . -LRB- Lips do n't have oil glands , so they 're especially sensitive , '' Day said . -RRB-

`` Lemons have a chemical called psoralen , and the psoralen makes you exquisitely sensitive to light . It activates in about 10 to 15 minutes , and it takes about 24 hours to wear off . So if you do that , and go out in the sun , you can actually blister , '' Day said . `` I see it on people at the beach if they 're having a Corona or a margarita , '' she said . `` Because they squeeze the lemon and get a rash on the back of their hand . It 's the splatter pattern of how they squeezed the lemon , and the sunburn effect . ''

Hydrogen peroxideLike lemons , peroxide is often suggested as a home remedy for lightening hair color . But Day warns against it .

`` It can bleach , but it can irritate , '' she said . `` Peroxide is toxic to skin cells . So if you have a wound and you keep putting hydrogen peroxide on it , it wo n't heal . '' Only use it on the first day of your injury to clean a cut or a wound , she advised .

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Honey , olive oil and tea are great pantry products for your skin , dermatologist Doris Day says

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Citrus and spices can irritate skin , the `` Forget the Facelift '' author says

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Salt , sugar and baking soda are effective exfoliants , Day says